Ingredients
Hot Water Pastry 200ml water 75g butter 75g lard 450g plain flour, sifted 1 pinch salt 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (or rapeseed oil)
Pork Filling ½ kg pork mince 1 large clove of garlic, crushed Pinch mixed herbs Pinch black pepper Pinch salt 1 small white onion, finely diced 100g bacon, chopped Jelly 3 gelatine leaves 250ml chicken stock Salt and pepper to taste
Method
For the filling Mix all the pork filling in a bowl and season. Use a frying pan to cook off a small amount and taste. Add more of any ingredients to season to your taste. Cook the rest. Put into the fridge.
For the pastry Put the water, butter, and lard into a saucepan and gently heat to melt both the butter and the lard. Then bring to a gentle boil.
Put the flour into a large heatproof bowl and add the salt and the egg. Mix together with a knife. Add the hot fat and water mixture and combine thoroughly.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 mins or until it becomes smooth and silky.
Take a small jam jar and cover the outside with a light layer of oil.
Cut 1/3 of the pastry off and wrap and put to the side. Roll the remaining 2/3 to ¼ inch thick.
Cut a 6-inch circle and lay over the jam jar bottom and gently ease up the side of the jar. Be careful not to stretch the pastry too thin. Your pastry should be even all over and without any holes or tears. If the pastry does tear, simply remould using your fingers. Hot water pastry is very forgiving.
Cover the pastry with a strip of greaseproof paper cut to the depth you want your pie and long enough to wrap around the jar. Tie with string. Trim the top edge to create a neat edge with a sharp knife.
Place into the refrigerator to harden.
To assemble Once hardened, take the pastry cases off the jam jars and fill with the pork filling nearly all the way to the top.
Roll out the remaining 1/3 of pastry and cut in lids. Put the lid on top and crimp the edges to create a tight seal. Using a skewer, pierce the centre of the lid to create a tiny air hole.
Beat an egg. Brush liberally, all over, with the egg wash.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the temperature in the centre is 176 F.
For the jelly Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 15 minutes.
Squeeze excess water off the leaves and add to warmed chicken stock.
Leave to cool, then season with a little salt and pepper.
When the pies are cooked, leave for 10 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the hole in the lid.
Leave in a cool place to set.